Three Little Words
by damnitjane
Summary: A tag or 6.22. What do you do when you get everything you want?


Just a small tag for 6.22. Better late than never, right, Jane?

This is actually my first tag ever.

Lisbon felt the roughage of his week old stubble across her palm as her hand slid softly from his cheek, where it came to rest on his hand firmly placed flat on the table beside them. There was a quick, easy, natural smile on her face now; one that stated how content she was.

"Three little words," he told her, matching her smile in size and effort, "didn't seem like enough."

Lisbon murmured at that, her eyes meeting his and ignoring the TSA Agent barreling into the holding room, his clipboard in his hand.

"You can't do that in here," he told them firmly, pointing his clipboard at them and shaking it. "That is totally against policy."

Lisbon didn't pay much attention. Jane had picked up her hand that was grasping his and interlocked his fingers with hers, raising their intertwined hands between them and kissing her ring-finger knuckle with a soft brush of his mouth.

"You're free to go," the Agent told them, clearly annoyed that they didn't listen to him. He turned away from them and slammed the door behind him as he left the room.

"I'm glad I caught you before the plane took off," Jane told her. "Can you imagine me being the in-flight entertainment?"

She chuckled. "I would have watched it."

He laughed. "You're so beautiful," he told her, reaching his free hand to rake through her hair. "I'm sorry me telling you that is late, but it's the truth."

Lisbon reached her free hand up to place over his as it ghosted over her dark strands. She remembered how she felt sitting in that plane, heading to somewhere she didn't want to go, to someone she didn't even love. At least, not the same as the man who was now looking at her as if she was the only thing in the room. As if the world stopped and she was the only one left. She didn't care that he thought he was late; the truth was he was right on time.

"Three little words," she repeated his earlier sediment.

"Hmm?" he murmured, watching her green eyes dance in the fluorescent lights above. Something told her he was lost in them, and not particularly paying attention to her at the moment.

Before she could answer, Abbott was walking into the room. His eyes raked over the situation: Jane leaning across the table with his hand in Lisbon's hair, and Lisbon holding his hand in place. Lisbon could feel the scarlet creeping into her cheeks.

"Ah, Agent Abbott," Jane greeted, extracting his hand from Lisbon's hair and sliding back into his seat. Their hands remained intertwined on the table in front of them.

"I see you made it," he smiled slightly, crossing his arms against his chest. "Climbing aboard a plane is serious business, Jane. Federal offenses up the ying-yang."

Jane looked at Lisbon, and then asserted his gaze to his boss. "It was worth it."

Abbott looked down at their intertwined hands and then took a turn looking at them both in the eyes.

"I can see that. Finally," Abbott exhaled deeply. "This was getting a bit tedious. Anyway, the paperwork is all squared away. We are due to fly back to Austin in an hour. Please don't make me have to bail you out, again."

Jane didn't look at him as he turned and left the room. His focus was strictly on the most important person in his life. He could see the smile on her face and the gleam in her eyes, and he was suddenly well aware of just how happy he made her. Declaring his love to her had been his way of telling her he loved her, but showing her how much he loved her was the reason for the expression on her face.

"We better get out of here," Lisbon told him, her nose wrinkling.

"Yes," he agreed. "I love you, Teresa."

"I love you, too, Patrick."

The trip back to Austin had been drama-free, with no major hiccups to speak of. As they touched down in Texas, Lisbon suddenly remembered that she had nowhere to go; she had given up her lease for the move to DC. She had helped Jane into his Airstream and was looking around when he spoke.

"Why don't you move in with me for awhile?" he asked her. "I could use some help with my ankle, anyway."

"In the Silver Twinkie? Jane, I don't know…" she replied, secretly shuddering at the tin can being her home. "All my stuff is still packed at my old place, ready to be shipped…" she trailed off.

"We are boyfriend and girlfriend, Lisbon," he told her seriously. "And you have no other choice."

_We are boyfriend and girlfriend._ It's the first time that either of them had described what they were. Lisbon trapped her bottom lip in her teeth and nodded slowly. Jane reached out and gently pulled her bottom lip out.

"It's okay," he told her, leaning forward and pressing his forehead to hers. "If you're not ready…"

Was she ready? What would happen between them? Would it be awkward? She reached his lips with her own and let the matter rest. It was the only option she had, and she didn't mind it. It was just new. All of this was brand new. And it felt right. He felt right. The kiss was a deep sensation; deeper than the one in the holding room at the airport. Her hands came up almost automatically to elope around his neck, and his hands slid to her hips, pressing into her as much as he could without aggravating his ankle.

Breathlessly, Lisbon broke the kiss and gave him two small kisses on the corner of his mouth.

"I guess _mi casa, es su casa_…"

Jane smiled and pulled her back to his mouth.

"I," he kissed her on one side of her mouth, "Love," he kissed her on the other side of her mouth, "You," he kissed her full on the mouth, his tongue probing the inside of her lips inviting her to open, in which she did, meeting him with enthusiasm.

"Three little words," she sighed softly against his lips. "All you had to say."

"I can think of other ways to say it," he told her, laughing. "As soon as the ankle heals."

She giggled and wondered how she ever thought she'd never get him. How she would have to live her life in world without him. For now, everything she wanted was wrapped in her arms.


End file.
